HUTCHINSON, Minn. — A police officer is hospitalized after being assaulted and dragged by a vehicle at a "high rate of speed" during a traffic stop in Hutchinson Wednesday afternoon, according to police.
Hutchinson Police say that officer, identified by authorities as 31-year department veteran Steven Sickmann, pulled over a man who reportedly assaulted an employee at a Menards home improvement store with a piece of lumber, after that worker asked him to put on a mask while shopping.
During the traffic stop, which occurred just before 2 p.m. Wednesday, police say Sickmann became trapped in the window of the vehicle and the suspect drove off with the officer still hanging on.
Officials say Sickmann was also hit in the head with a hammer during the struggle. He was taken to Hutchinson Health, treated, and is now at home recovering from his injuries.
Before the traffic stop, Hutchinson police say officers attempted to pull the vehicle over and a slow pursuit occurred in the area of the Hutchinson Mall near South Grade Road and Highway 15 South. The driver eventually stopped near Highway 15 and Freemont Avenue Southwest.
The suspect, a 61-year-old rural Hutchinson man, was arrested at the scene and faces charges in the incident.
